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(No Model.)

0.1%.BARB ER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 370,759. Patented Oct. 4, 1887.

NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORSON R. BARBER, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO LEWIS E. CARPENTER AND GEORGE B. LONGSTREET, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.370,'759, dated October 4, 1887.

Application filed July 12, 18e7. Serial No. 244,100. (No model.)

lire-escapes; and it consists in acertain novel construction and arrangement of parts, fully set forth hereinafter, and specifically pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the ratchet-wheel and the sliding pawl.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the case of the device, comprising a rectangular box provided at the upper end with a handle or bail, B, to enable the same to be carried.

0 designates a shaft journaled in the sides of the said box, having the spool or drum D thereon, to which is attached the end of the rope or cable E, which passes down through a central perforation in the bottom of the box or case. The said shaft 0 is provided on one end, on the outside of the box, with a squared post, 0, for a purpose to be hereinafter de scribed. One side of the said spool or drum D is provided with a ratchet-wheel, G, having an uneven number of teeth arranged radially that is,with no inclination in either directionthe said teeth being triangular or beveled on.

both sides. 1

H designates a vertical bar sliding in ways in the side of the box, and having the longitudinal slot h therein to receive and slide on the shaft 0. The said bar H is provided on the inner side with the triangular bosses or teeth I I, adapted to fit in between the teeth on the spur or ratchet wheel G, and the teeth are so arranged that when one is engaged in the wheel the other is out of engagement. WVhen the said spur-wheel is turned, the sliding pawl, comprising the bar H and the teeth thereon, is forced up and down alternately by the action of the beveled sides of the teeth on said spur-wheel against the beveled sides of the teeth I on the said pawl.

It will be seen that when the upper tooth I is in engagement with the spur-wheel the lower tooth is not, and consequently when the said wheel is turned the bar H is forced up until the upper tooth is out of engagement and the lower tooth is in engagement. If the wheel continue to turn, the lower tooth will be forced down by the action of the teeth of the wheel thereon and the upper tooth will again come into engagement with the said wheel. Therefore, when the cord or cable is drawn very rapidly through the perforation in the bottom of the case, its speed is moderated by the action of the sliding pawl in the ratchet or spur wheel, which, although it does not stop the unwinding of the said'cable, prevents it from paying out too rapidly.

K designates a key in the form of a crankand having a square aperture in the end to fit on the squared post a on the end of the shaft 0, and when the cord has been entirely unwound and it is desired to rewind it on the spool or drum the said key is applied and the shaft (and consequently the said drum) is turned.

The device is designed to be carried by the owner in the trunk or a satchel, (it being de-' signed especially for travelers,) and when a fire occurs the bail at the upper side of the case is attached to any convenient object near the window, and the person to be let down attaches himself to the other end of the rope by tying the end of the same under his arms, and then drops out of the window. The action of thesliding pawl will prevent his dropping too rapidly, and he will touch the ground safely. The person who is still in the room now applies the key to the shaft 0 and rewinds the cord on the drum, and, if he is the only one now to be let down, he attaches the end of the cord to some object in the room close to the window, and, holding onto the case, allows himself to drop from the window. Thus the fire-escape is preserved to serve at another fire and need not be destroyed, as must happen with those escapes which are secured rigidly to the frame of the window and cannot be re moved when the last person descends.

The device is extremely simple and light in weight and will be found extremely effective in operation. Being simple in construction,

there is very little chance of any of the parts getting out of order. In fact,there are no parts of a nature to get out of order, the only movable parts being the shaft carrying the drum and spur-wheel and the pawl sliding in verticalways in the side of the case.

It will be seen that the bail B at the upper end of the case is pivoted in the opposite sides of the case and the sidesthercof pass up th rough perforations in the top of the case. The said top of the case is in two parts, adapted to be removed, and therefore when the caseis not in use one of the portions of the said top maybe removed and the pivoted bail swung down into the said case out of the way, the device being thus adapted to take up less space in packing. IVhen it is desired to use the said bail, either to serve as a handle to carry the case by, or as a means of attachment in case of fire, one of the said portions of the top of the box is removed and the bail caused to assume the vertical position shown in the draw ings in full lines, with the sides thereof in the perforations in the top of the box.

' Having thus described my invention, I elaim- 1. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the ease having the lid on the upper end formed in two sections, the said sections having notches in their meeting edges, which register when the sections are brought together, the bail or handle pivoted in the opposite sides of the case below the lid and adapted to pass through the registered notches, and the drum journaled in the case and having the cable E wound thereon, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the case A, the shaft 0, journaled in the sides thereof, spool or drum D on the said shaft, spur-\vheelG on one end of the said spool,the sliding pawl operating in vertical ways in the side of the case and provided with the teeth I I to engage alternately in the teeth of the said spur-wheel, and the cord or cable E, attached at the upper end to the said drum,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the case A, the shaft 0, journaled in the sides thereof, spool D on the said shaft, spur-wheel Gon one end of the said spool, having an uneven number of teeth, vertical bar H, sliding in ways in the side of the case and having a slot,ll,therein to receive the shaft 0, the-teeth I I on the said bar above and below the said spur-wheel and adapted to engage alternately in the teeth thereof, and the cable to be wound on the said spool, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the case A, the shaft 0, journaled in the sides thereof, spool or drum on the said shaft, spurwheel on the side of the said spool, having an uneven number of teeth beveled on both sides to a point, sliding pawl operating in the side of the case and having the teethl I at the upper and lower ends above and below the said spur-wheel, the said teeth being beveled on both sides to a point and adapted to engage alternately with the teeth of the spur-wheel on opposite sides thereof, and the cord or cable attached to the said spool, substantially as specified. K

5. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the case A, the shaft 0, journaled in the sides thereof and having the squared post 0011 the end thereof, on the outside of the said case, spool D on the said shaft, spur-wheel G, sliding pawl to engage in the said spur-wheel to impede the revolution thereof, the rope on the said spool, and the key K, adapted to be engaged with the said squared post 0, to enable the spool to he turnedto rewind the cord or cable thereon when unwound, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I havehereto affixed mysignaturcinpresonce of two witnesses.

ORSON BARBER.

Witnesses:

G. B. LONGSTREET, N. P. WALLEY. 

